Daily Rant

Mexican Tinga Poblana

2013-02-10T13:58:00.000-08:00

This is an absolute favorite that my friend Nicole made for us recently. I love it because of its many uses. Great for breakfast, lunch and dinner!! If you can't find Mexican Chorizo (they have a great soy chorizo at Trader Joe's), use another spicy sausage but add 2 tsp smoked paprika with the cumin. Chipotle chiles are smoked as well as dried.

Serves 6 - 8

Tinga Poblana

4 dried chipotle chiles
3lb plum tomatoes, halved
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tsp sugar
8oz Mexican chorizo or other spicy sausage
3lb pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2 in cubes
2 onions, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
3 thyme sprigs
1 tsp dried oregano
about 1 cup chicken stock or water
brown sugar, to taste (optional)

To Serve

2 ripe avocados
juice of 1 lime
1 cup sour cream
6oz mild soft white cheese
about 2 TBSP coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 375. Cover the chipotles with just-boiled water and leave to soak. Put the tomatoes, cute side up, in a roasting pan where they fit in a single layer. Drizzle with oil, season, and sprinkle with sugar. Roast for 50 minutes, until soft, slightly scorched, and shrunken.

2. Remove the sausage from its casing and break into pieces. Heat 1 TBSP olive oil in a large fry9ing pan and saute the sausage pieces until well colored. Put into a flameproof Dutch oven, retaining the fat in the pan. Brown the pork well in this fat to a really good color (cook the pork in batches so the temperature stays high and you are frying, not steaming, the meat).

3. Remove the meat and put it in the Dutch oven, leaving behind any fat. Add a little more oil to the frying pan if needed and fry the onions to a good deep gold. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for 2 minutes more, then add to the Dutch oven with the thyme, oregano, seasoning, and enough stock or water to cover. Simmer, partially covered, over a low heat until just tender (about 50 minutes).

4. Fifteen minutes before the cooking time is up, add the tomatoes and juices into the Dutch oven. Remove the chiles from their liquid, take off the stems, and seed. Coarsely chop he flesh and add this, with the soaking liquid, to the casserole. Gently cook for 15 minutes. Check the seasoning; you may want to add a little brown sugar.

5. To serve, slice the avocados and squeeze lime juice all over them. Season. Put the meat into a large bowl (or leave it in the casserole) and spoon over the sour cream, add the avocado slices, then sprinkle with the cheese and cilantro.

You can serve over rice, eggs, on a tortilla, or (my particular favorite) with polenta. Pan fried slices or warm piles are delicious!!!

Enjoy!

~ Kate

Courtney Robertston of ABC's "The Bachelor"

2012-03-06T23:39:00.003-08:00

Courtney Robertson of ABC's The Bachelor.... I know you think I am going to rant about how nasty Courtney is on this season of The Bachelor, but quite the opposite.

I admit, I'm a new disciple of The Bachelor and all things Bachelor, including The Bachelorette, Bachelor Pad and any other spin-off they come up with. I started watching when my best friends let me in on the "out of the limo" wagering, top five game. That was half way through Jake's season, so I wasn't able to bet officially, but my money was on Vienna. I know, again, now you think I just root for the underdog or the "bitch" in the house. Nope! Wrong again.

I simply can't stand hypocrisy and I can honestly say I have never seen a season with bitchier women than this season. Great casting I suppose as I was anticipating this season being as exciting as watching a puddle evaporate, but in actuality there has been some real crazies and a lovely ton of biting comments and eye rolling. Excellent!!

I am writing to rant about the hypocrites on the Bachelor Reunion show that aired last night. It was unbelievable to me that not even five minutes after the show played video of literally 99% of these women saying "mean, hurtful" things about Chantal, then literally acted like they were a firing squad and were handing poor Courtney a cigarette and a blindfold. I have never seen such holier-than-tho speeches and head nodding, eye rolling and hypocritical diatribes. What did Courtney really do after all, other than play the game they each signed on for? How many times did they accuse Courtney of doing the exact same thing they all ultimately wanted to do, WIN. "She's in it to win it." So they are asking America to believe they were all, every one of them, in it to lose it? Hmmm.

Courtney with as much dignity and media training as she had in her, apologized profusely, owned up to this supposed "bad behavior" (which was edited to be so) and never once said "look, I was playing the game and groping for camera time" (which worked like a charm). Frankly, in every single season I've ever seen of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, everyone is always saying awful, snarky things about the others in the house, they just usually don't say it to one another's face. Really, the only difference between those A-holes and Courtney is that Courtney made her "winning" and "I have a rose" comments to their faces! Remember how Michelle Money was edited to be "the Bitch" but surprisingly everyone loved her? That's because her comments were only to camera and producers!

I knew Courtney personally and I've said it a million times.....Courtney Robertson is one of the sweetest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I still have the Betsy Johnson dress she gave me because I told her it was pretty! If she was playing a role, she did it brilliantly. This season's Bachelor would have been a miserable bore without her and if she was "in it to win it", then congrats on that. Mission accomplished.

As for the rest of the, heartbroken and therefore excused for being such trolls, girls (Casey S and Brittany exclused).....LOSING!

~ Kate

Why Do I Do It??

2011-12-23T09:04:00.000-08:00

How annoying and Grinch-like am I? Are you the kind of person that starts getting the blues on the day before Christmas Eve, anticipating the day after Christmas?? Or bums yourself out on the first or second day of your 10-day vacation thinking about that awful plane ride home?? Whyyyyyy!!?

I found myself today, instead of feeling anxious and excited about the impending holidays, feeling a little sad as I gazed at my cheery red Starbucks cup and thought of how depressing it is going to be when they go back to white and it's all over with. As a matter of fact (and even more demented), I was getting stressed when I saw the first Christmas decorations going up around Halloween because I wanted them to stretch it out longer and didn't want it to be Christmas just yet.

Is there a cure for this malady? Can I just live in the moment??? I even do yoga, which is almost impossible to do without being present and concentrating "breathe in, breathe out, breathe in.....", and find that I'm anxious like a caged animal, like "hurry up! I have errands to run after this!" or I think of ten things I need to do at the office and feel the undeniable urge to break out, find my phone, and put them all down in my calendar's to-do list.

I think it's some sort of masochism, a self-torture ritual of sorts. Is it an ancestral Mayan instinct intrinsically knowing that we're on the final count-down? How's that for a cheery thought?

At any rate, as I write this, I'm already getting anxious about the ticking minutes until I'll inevitably be late for work, so off I go, as I can no longer be present and concentrate on the task at hand.

I do wish you loads of Christmas, Hanukkah, etc, cheer and many many many happy minutes all year long.

Happy, healthy, prosperous holidays and blessed new year and always.

~ Kate

Gym Towels

2011-08-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

Is it the hard water? The cheap detergent? The multitudes of washes!?? My towel at the gym this morning literally felt like I was drying off with a brick.

I'm not complaining that they actually launder the towels. The very thought of the thousand upon thousands of towels used to dry the sweaty business ends of the multitudes of gym-goers makes me want to pull a Rod Tidwell and air dry, ugh, but if you read my blog you know my feelings on nakedness in the locker rooms. Even when I opt to go home to shower I still use the towels on my FACE when I'm sweating, eiwww. My face!! Their bottoms!

With that visual I will bid you adieu!

Happy workouts and clean-ups :)

~ Kate

Nothing to Rant About!! BEST Mac n Cheese EVER!

2011-07-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

Thank you Rania, for your mac n cheese recipe! If I have anything at all to rant about, it's that I haven't wanted to eat anything else since I made it!

The best part about this recipe is that it's all eyeballed and to taste. You can also add ruffles or Panko flakes (the flakes were Erik's idea).

It was so thick and chewy that, when it cooled enough, my friends were picking it up and eating it like a rice crispies treat! When you cut it grease squirts out!! Need I say more!!!!??

Noisy Neighbors

2011-06-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

Noisy neighbors? Yes, of course. We live in an APARTMENT building!!! It is the absurd policy of my building that if you hear "a noise" to call the front desk and tell them to investigate and if it persists beyond "15 minutes, call the police". That's right....call the POLICE to respond to Fluffy the poodle who wants to be walked or ever-so-bothersome walking in shoes or talking on the balcony!!!

I can't take it anymore. To make matters worse, the acoustics in this building are such that sounds travel quite strangely. I live on the top floor and I can hear people walking above me or pulling a chair in and out. Sometimes in the parking garage I hear a dog that lives at least 4 floors up. I live almost directly above the pool and tennis court and never hear a thing.

I had about 6 or 7 friends over on LABOR DAY to hang out and BBQ. We were at the pool (no music, no beer pong, just a handful of people chatting and laughing etc) and it was noon or so and the security came down to tell us that we had to keep it down. Yes, outside, at noon, on a holiday!!! You can't hear noise mid day coming from a swimming pool!!!????

The point is....WHO gives a S@#T! You have neighbors! You have a living space connected to someone else's. Makes sense you might hear a noise or two every now and then!

If you want silence, move to a prairie in Kansas, PLEASE!!!

Have a peaceful day.

~ Kate

When It Rains It Pours

2011-03-15T09:04:00.000-07:00

I normally agree with this, most-time accurate, analogy, but when I break it down literally I don't know why it's a negative thing.

What's worse than misty, spitting, drizzly, rain? If it's going to rain, I just assume have it pour.

On the other hand, why is it universally true that when you have a great boyfriend, you meet five others after having only met troll after troll, or no one at all, for the prior 9 - 10 months in a row?! Or, what about getting a good job finally and then a dream opportunity comes knocking, or two, or three? Have plans this weekend? Now you have 15 invitations, each better than the one you just committed to after you've gotten out of the first four or five somehow.

I attribute it all to timing. The universe has a funny way of timing things pretty badly sometimes. Maybe it's just me. I've always noticed a pattern of bad timing, whether it's something pretty minor like getting in the other lane the nano-second the traffic starts to move in the lane I just abandoned, or some major career move at the wrong time or geographical move and realizing I shoulda, woulda, coulda. My dear friend pointed out, however, that I have a bad habit of assuming the grass is much greener in everyone else's yard.
I guess the key is to live in the moment and hope that everything happens for a reason, is meant to be and/or insert your favorite cliche here!

I do like a good downpour whether it's rain or snow, but I'd like, just once, to meet the right person at the right time, get the right job and stick to it, have it be sunny AND hot at the same time, and last, but not least, go outside and sing in the pouring rain!

Enjoy whichever element is your fav.

~ Kate

Why Don't We Say What We Mean?

2011-02-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

In the era of being open, honest, and in touch with our feelings, why is it so hard to say what we mean? Are we that worried about what people will think? Are we so obsessed with pleasing people other than ourselves or not hurting anyone's feelings? Uhhh, YES.

There is no simple solution to this paradox. I truly believe honestly and communication are the best policies, but I would rather squash something that may have hurt me or made me angry in the moment, rather than be open and honest and turn it into a thing. Conversely, while I always get hurt feelings and never ever feel quite the same once told off (even when completely warranted), I have tremendous respect the person telling me "I don't like it when you, or it pissed me off then you did this, or that shade of lipstick is hideous on you, or I know we have plans, but I'm just not feeling up to it tonight....". I wish I were as courteous to myself as I am to others.

I am also a firm believer in treating your significant other, whether a spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, or roommate, aka those who know us THE BEST and love us anyway, better than you would treat a stranger. I am adopting the very important philosophy that you should treat your loved one politely, lovingly and say and do the things you would to a stranger such as, "please and thank you", holding your tongue when you want to scream, asking if he or she minds if you change the channel on the television and never calling names or saying the ever popular in a relationship "f-you, or you're an a-hole!". I mean who says that to someone they care about or respect even a little bit?!? Really.

As for the very simple topic of this rant, I humbly offer that we don't always say what we mean, because being polite or not starting something fairly insignificant can sometimes wisely take precedent over doing exactly what we want to all of the time and/or sparing someones feelings. In many and most cases, however, I do firmly stipulate that the truth shall indeed set you free. NEVER lie, but don't say every little insulting thing that pops into your head.

Like my Aunt Helen says, if you don't have something nice to say, come sit by me and spill it!

I very honestly mean, have a lovely Wednesday!!

~ Kate

Time Flys

2011-01-13T21:04:00.000-08:00

Where does the time go? Is it me or does EVERYONE say that these days? Whether you are religious or not, one must ponder, does God or the universe have us on fast-forward? Has he/she/it thrown up their hands in disgust saying "..... forget it. Let's get on with this already..."?

I remember dying to be eight years old so I could play the recorder like my sister Andi in 4th grade. I couldn't wait. I thought eight would be the greatest year and it felt like an eternity to reach it. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Time ticking by so slowly. Remember marking red X's on a calendar? Waiting to check each day off. What did it feel like to anticipate Christmas morning? I can remember having butterflies, actual butterflies, when trying to go to sleep while dreaming of all of those presents that would magically appear in the living room by 5 or 6 AM. These days the only thing even resembling that feeling is when I've had far too much coffee and have to catch a plane somewhere I actually want to go. That's more anxiety than excitement though.

The other regrettable part of my existence lately is wishing each week for Friday, then clinging helplessly to Saturday, tick- tock, tick- tock....Sunday, oh no, overslept, it's already 10:30AM! This means I only have eight and a half hours until I should go to bed because I get up at 5:45AM on Monday. I always end up going to bed after midnight just so that I can squeeze out a couple extra hours of my, oh so precious, weekend. It's not that I dread work, I just dread having to do the same thing day after day and having to be somewhere, anywhere I don't want to be or being somewhere I didn't just randomly end up at. I like having things to do, who doesn't?, but it's the having to do that's the bugger. At any rate, I wish for Fridays all week, every week, and somehow end up 20 years later and haven't accomplished a thing or done much other than wait for Fridays. Ugh. I want the week to pass by quickly, but, at the same time, for time to stand still. Quite the conundrum.

I try and will continue to try adopting the Buddhist philosophy of living in the moment. I will try to enjoy each moment for whatever good I can find in it, whatever fun I can derive from it. I will not compare my life to others'. I will appreciate waking up alive each morning. I will appreciate little things like getting the giggles when I lie on my back, looking at the ocean, Rocco running and barking in his sleep, fresh sheets, SLEEP, coffee when I'm not drinking it to stay awake, and writing ;)

Ok World, slow down, please??

I hope you are enjoying your moment as we speak.

~ Kate

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

2011-01-03T15:00:00.000-08:00

We had a great 2010, but looking forward to an even better 2011.

Hope yours is wonderful too!!

~ Kate

Show "Business"

2011-01-02T14:09:00.000-08:00

People get into show business, no matter what side of it, to have a non-desk job, flexibility and light-hearted good fun. They want to work outside the grind. Sadly the contrary is very much true.

I have been the "The Business" for 15 years now and I must say, I'm on call more than some doctors I know. Never mind the absolute constant and unwarranted amount of drama each day surmounting to more than the medical, legal and construction industries combined, that one must endure whether they are in front of the camera or behind it. EVERY LITTLE THING is the creation of the wheel or the end of the world.

Let's talk about the 12 - 15 hour days, nope, not curing cancer, rather making sure someone doesn't miss out on their Taco Bell audition or getting that last shot of Lady Gaga riding off into the sunset on Sunset ;)

It's my very humble opinion, but greed never rears its ugly head more than in the entertainment industry. If I were in charge of the world (ok, this country.....ok, Los Angeles, CA) I would make it mandatory that people take 3-day weekends, a minimum of 30 days off per calendar year, work a maximum of 7 hours per day, and all holidays + 1 day to recuperate. Think of how motivated you are right before a vacation and how rested and revitalized you are when you return from a couple of weeks in the sunshine drinking pina coladas. Also, don't you just want one more day each weekend? 2 days are not long enough to catch up on my laundry let alone take a weekend trip or even a stay-cation. We as Americans take ourselves far too seriously and are far to greedy to ever adopt the 4-day work week or siesta like they do in Europe. People take the entire Summer off in most countries! Not here. Some greedy jerk would look at as a get ahead opportunity! We'll work SIX days a week and make more money than the other guys!

America! Let's enjoy living as well as working and take adequate time for our families and friends. Life is short. We only get one. Who cares if you are able to pay the mortgage if you never get to go home??

I propose that this new year we slow down, stop worrying and enjoy our days on as well as our days off and here's to more of the latter!

Entertainment industry! Now hear this! IT'S NOT THAT SERIOUS!!!!! IT'S ENTERTAINMENT!!!

Happy new year!!

~ Kate

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year??

2010-12-20T09:45:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas time again. Isn't weird how you are incredibly hard pressed to find one person who doesn't say "I can't believe it's already Christmas AGAIN so soon!".

It is equally a labyrinthine task to find someone, anyone, who isn't over-stressed, run down and complaining about this "wonderful time of the year".

Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves to accomplish the Herculean task of buying the perfect gift for every acquaintance, co-worker, friend and family member by the deadline December 25th or sooner depending on when one celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ collectively!!??

In a time when Christmas carols, eggnog, the smell of the cold and pine needles should reign supreme, we're busy in on line at Target at 3:00 in the morning mapping out our strategy and game plan to rip that new flat screen from the hands of the guy who got on line five minutes before we did.

What happened to the sheer excitement of it all? The counting down the eternally long month of December on our little cardboard Advent calendars?? What happened to all of the parties and the fun of it??

Are we all just that broke that Christmas has become as insurmountable as a jaunt up Mt. Kilimanjaro?

I just want to smell the homey scent of pine needles and caramel corn and have all day to sit around in my pajamas making lists and writing Christmas cards, yet somehow I've managed year after year to turn it into an alarm clock-setting, up at dawn, plan of attack, have-to, nightmare.

Next year I'm starting in September.

For now I'll remember the real reason for the season, as they say, and realize that having too many wonderful friends and family and the ability to even buy presents is a wonderful problem to have!!

Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah and a very happy and, most importantly, healthy, new year!

~ Kate

Been A While :(

2010-10-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry, ya'll. I'm a really bad blogger, but every now and then I check in. I'll work on it!!

This morning's 6:30am yoga class hearkened me back to an oldie [rant], but a goodie.

What's with the half-naked men at my gym!?? Is nudity necessary in public and before it's even light out!? Is that black super V that hot!? Reeeeeallly?? Your burn-out wife beater got you sweating to the point you need to strip that Kleenex-equivalent of a t-shirt off?

That's about it. Like I said, I know I've covered this before, but it still continues and it's still gross.

OK, you get the idea ;)

Happy Monday!!

xo ~ Kate

Phenomenal = Kimbra

2010-09-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

Innovative. Brilliant video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHV04eSGzAA

~ Kate

CEVICHE!!

2010-09-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

I have nothing to rant about!!! This ceviche was perfect. Grrrr. ~ Kate

Orange and Yellow

2010-09-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

I have a bit of a expostulation with the candy makers of the world. I LOVE love love sour candy, gummy candy, fruity candy of any kind, for that matter, but what's with the prevalence of orange candy!? Yellow too! Is that anyone's favorite flavor? Sometimes it's actually banana flavor! Yuk. Everyone knows, blue, green, red and sometimes purple are the flavors of choice so why is that that most candies with multiple flavors are predominantly made up of orange and yellow?! It's amazing. Is it just me?? Do I have the luck of the draw that that nine times out of ten I'll reach into my bag of sour patch kids and pull out 4 orange ones and a random yellow one? I think these bags are rigged and heavily weighted with an abundance of these unpopular colors.

I feel like someone should come up with a solution to this unsavory complication. I remember that I always loved to eat the Crunchberries out of my Captain Crunch and sort of just tolerated the hard yellow things that used to tear up the roof of my mouth. Then, the most wonderful thing happened!! They came out with a cereal called "Oops!". It was the greatest cereal ever! ALL CRUNCHBERRIES!!! If I'm not mistaken, another example of this idea was executed in the late eighties with the Life Savers release of the all-cherry-Life Savers-roll.

Why work for your favorite flavors? Aren't we over the hunter/gatherer fad? Think of the how much less food waste there would be if we actually wanted to eat every flavor.

The only negative would be that you would actually have to share the "good flavors" with your boyfriend instead of giving him all the orange ones that you didn't want anyway ;)

I <3 candy!!

~ Kate

Summer 2010??

2010-08-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

Where the HECK is the Summer weather?? I say this amidst the last couple of days of over ninety degree weather, granted, but still. It's basically been no warmer than room temperature since December. Frankly, I recall a few 80 degree days at the beach in December that were better than what we've had this "Summer"!! Am I actually complaining about constant 69/70 degree days? You bet I am. Gone are the sweltering, asphalt-burning-your-feet, days when dying to get into the cold (and sometimes brown and smelly) So-Cal ocean water seems effortless and NECESSARY. This is Los Angeles, not Seattle!!! Why haven't I worn a single sun dress this Summer, trunked it more than one five-minute freeze session or even sat outside at night without my winter parka!??

NOT FAIR!!!, but my gripe isn't with Mother Nature. I mean, the weather is sort of up to her not me. Here comes the rant.....Residents of So-Cal, what are you thinking?? Why the complaining about the heat!?! Seriously?? Come ON! We have had exactly two weekends, wait, make that, one weekend and 3 consecutive days (not a weekend) of over 70 degree, beach-worthy, weather in the past 4 or 5 months!! We have a real Summer day once (and that doesn't always include at the beaches where it has been consistently windy, hence blown out or walled out for the past 9 months from the South Bay to Malibu) and people are actually bitching about the heat! I can't believe it when I hear weather people on every network spewing the following garbage: "finally, some relief from the heat". "A much needed cool down for your weekend." Who wants a cool down for their weekend?? That's when we want to get in the water!

I love it here in California. I always will. I don't want to live anywhere else and honestly it can be whatever temperature it wants, but let's just love it no matter what it is. Scratch that....LOVE it when it's hot and sunny like the post cards and not complain the rest of the time. We could be scraping our windshields or plugging in our cars, eeeeeyikes!

Happy August. Here's to a blazing hot Halloween ;)

~ Kate

Curb Your Dog!

2010-07-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

I am a dog fanatic. LOVE LOVE LOVE dogs! I don't love, however, picking up poo. I mean, if that's your thing, fine, but I'd say I'm not alone in my adversity to touching feces even through a plastic bag. I do it anyway. Of course!

I love hiking and running and even walking around my neighborhood, but everywhere I go, specifically Runyon Canyon AND MY OWN STREET, have become like strolling through a litter box. It's horrific and can't be healthy.

I am perplexed by the people who stand idly by while their pet cops a squat, wait until they've finished, and then just march on like the mess left behind is not their problem. Gross!! Seriously! I have experienced the conundrum of being stranded without a poop bag or anything to scoop up the mess, but I don't just leave it there. That's when I kick into MacGyver mode and find a giant leaf or go scrounging through a bag I may be carrying for some old paper. I have even been known to leave the scene of the crime go for a bag and come back for it. It's gotten so bad that I am actually compelled to pick up stranger poo.

People!, haven't you seen movies like The Road, The Book of Eli, even the short-lived Luke Wilson movie that was originally title 3001 by Mike Judge that gives us a glimpse of our world when people adopt the notion that taking care of the environment even on a small scale like picking up after their pets won't affect them.

The ocean is my favorite place on the planet and all of that waste goes right into it, so try and conjure up the notion of the pool scene in Caddyshack the next time Fluffy drops one and you feel like you'll leave it just this one time. Eiwwwww!

~ Kate

Keeping Up With Ever-Changing Trends!

2010-06-14T23:34:00.000-07:00

I threw away a pair of Prada wedges six months after I bought them because I thought they were hideously out of style and would never ever come back. Three months later, they CAME BACK, grrrrr. I find I do this with most things. High-waisted jeans, skinny jeans, black jeans, MOM JEANS!! I have long since thrown away all of my slouchy, Flash Dance-esque Genera sweaters which have now been back for 3 years and haven't gone anywhere yet. Remember pashminas? Yeah, had twenty of those, threw them all away and have now taken to replacing them with the $5 knock-off version from the guy on the street corner in Manhattan.

They craziest part is I remember my being told when I was little about how cyclical fashion is and that it all comes back around. I remember liking my mom's old plaid mini-skirts from the 60's when I was in high school, but what is the deal with modern trends? It used to be that it took twenty years for something to become kitsch or retro-cool. Now wide-leg pants with nautical buttons up the front which I would normally throw in the trash can just be shelved for about 3 months and wait their turn for Kate Moss or Sienna Miller to resurrect them and see the entire world wearing them. Amazing!! I mean it. Trends go in and out within 6 months time.

These days literally anything goes. I mean, my God, the 80's has reared its ugly head again!

Here are a few wardrobe staples that I wrote down for a gorgeous friend of mine who wanted a "trendy wardrobe update", but is in her thirties and didn't want to throw her entire life's savings at a bunch of clothes that were going to be out of style in a month and were not age appropriate.

1. Black boyfriend blazer. (3/4 length sleeve is a relevant look, but better to get full-length and push up in the interest of keeping classic)

2. Distressed (you can do this yourself and save about $100 give or take) skinny jeans.

3. Worn black (faded to grey, not grey) skinny jeans.

4. Racer back burn out and soft jersey tanks (A-line or long-waisted only. NO ribbed. It's for no one's pleasure!)

5. Slouchy sweater, off-white, heather grey, army green or khaki/taupe.

6. Boyfriend jeans (distressed or faded).

7. Plaid button downs. Rails (www.railsclothing.com) makes really comfy soft, great color-combo shirts like this.

8. 3/4 length sleeve black or grey leather (or pleather if you are keeping green) jacket. Madewell has an amazing blue/grey elastic waist jacket that I LOVE. Mike and Chris makes an amazing leather jacket. Love all of their leather.

9. 2 or 3 girly t-shirt dresses or tunics in bold colors like purple or blue.

10. V-neck (plunging V) burnout or soft jersey (ie. Splendid or Three Dots) boyfriend T's.

11. Pencil skirt and banging pair of concealed platform nude or black heels.

12. The YSL platform sandal in natural. (see www.ysl.com/sandals) You can also find a knock-off wedge. Great trans/seasonal shoe and color for Southern Cali.

13. Two pair of trendy t-strap sandals, simple in nude or metallic and black (flats).

14. 1 pair of white Vans (lace-up) or low-top Converse All-Stars or Black or Red Converse All-Stars.

15. 1 pair of creme or black oxford wing-tips. (www.stevemadden.com $60 bucks!!)

16. A pair of thick black leggings or jeggings. Three Dots makes a great pair that really suck you in.

17. Short trench or rain coat.

18. White denim is great for Summer. (I wear it all year with navy blue.) I know, I know....

Dolce Vita on Melrose PLACE is a great place for sandals and pumps. They also have great boots for Fall/Winter. Very moderately priced and have great sales.

Chain Emails!!!!!

2010-06-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

HATE THEM HATE THEM HATE THEM!!!! Do you have a friend that sends you an email (make that hundreds of emails) with the subject line: "fwd:

fwd: fwd: fwd: fwd:...." then a thousand published email addresses, including your own!??! Umm ever consider bcc:? Anyway, more annoying that having my email address advertised to the free world is receiving an email that literally insists I annoy 50 of MY friends by sending this email and if I don't, my family will die or I will suffer a horrible fate, etc. NIGHTMARE.

I'll admit. I am more superstitious than the average bear, but not superstitious enough to actually believe that by breaking the email chain "that has literally never been broken, don't break the chain and ruin it for the world" I will cause actual harm to myself or my loved ones, but it sort of puts it out there, you know? It's maddening.

I would love to hear from the sender who is usually a friend I haven't spoken to in a while, but when I excitedly open an email from said friend and realize it is actually some preachy bulls%$t or a "send this to 100 fabulous women that you know or I'll have 25 years of bad luck", it REALLY IRKS me! I have asked to be taken off of these chains. I have enough bad luck. I certainly don't need the brain damage of decidedly and purposely eradicating such a chain and hence posssssssibly inviting bad luck into my already hectic world. Thanks a million you selfish, childish, have way too much time on your hands friend of mine who should lose my email address.

The next time you feel possessed to send me an email that says if I "read the whole thing, don't skip to the end! Send to 10 people! Don't cheat!! Don't break the chain! Make a wish and spin around four times, send your personal info and bank account, this REALLY works!" etc, pick up your phone and call me, write me an actual personal email that maybe says, oh I don't know "hi, how are you?" or write me a letter OR don't write me at all! If my name only pops into your head when you hit the button marked "ALL" then I want to be "none". Another productive use of your time would be to reply to your own email about writing to Microsoft who is giving away free money if you send them your bank's routing number and your social, along with your blood type and the deed to your home. Then when you get all that free money, you can buy yourself a life!!!! Don't break the chain!!!

xoxo ~ Kate

What Happened to the Virgin in White???

2010-06-02T15:16:00.000-07:00

Gone is the day of the Vestal Virgin in white. Why do today's brides want to look like sluts? It is NOT Halloween, the every-woman's day to be "sexy kitten"! It's your WEDDING DAY!!! Has no one heard or does no one remember that it is inappropriate to have uncovered shoulders, or in this day and age, strapless, in church!?! (I know, I know...I'm even guilty of the cute strappy sundress or the strapless bridesmaid dress in which I felt like SJP) It was not so long ago that a woman would not set foot inside a church without having her head covered. Let alone attend a Mass. Let alone YOUR WEDDING MASS!!!

I see show after show, attend wedding after wedding and am always so surprised, rather shocked, when a bride is wearing a Grace Kelly-esque, demure gown and is covered up like a present waiting to be opened, as frankly, it should be. It seems to me that no one has humility or obsequiousness anymore. As old-fashioned as it may sound, it is not a day to be sexy. Quite the opposite as a matter of fact. It is a day when you are presented to your future husband as untouched, unscathed, vestal and pure. Hence the white dress. I know none of us love the idea of having our groom watch in hopeful anticipation only to see the "snow beast" lumbering towards him or have such a veil on that we end up flung over or hung up on the alter steps. Just a modern day version of this perhaps. I have more respect for the brides who opt for the blood red or neon green wedding dress and have the thing at a luau or underwater or while jumping out of an airplane.

If you are going to get married in church, cover it up. The sexy time comes later, so get some slutty lingerie. Then, there's a payoff for your new husband that the entire guest list isn't privy to.

Best wishes beautiful BLUSHING brides!!

~ Kate

Credit Card vs. Debit Card

2010-05-11T06:44:00.000-07:00

I often hear about people who's entire banks accounts have wiped out or have lost hundreds or even thousands of dollars because someone stole their debit card number. There are several, really scary, scams out there. I know because my credit card number has been stolen and duplicated TWICE! Having your credit card number stolen is a nightmare and a bit of a pain, but my life's savings weren't wiped out. I just had an exponentially large bill or two and had to have it investigated, etc to clear the charges.

Just the other day I heard on the news that you shouldn't swipe your debit card at the gas pump. Ummm, how are you supposed to pay? Cash? What's that? I was also recently told a horrifying story that a friend of a friend was shopping at a popular retail store in the mall and when the sales girl asked her to please see her debit card again because "it didn't go through" and she needed to "swipe it again". The sales girl actually stole this woman's debit card number and subsequently charged thousands of dollars, paid off a car loan, etc. All of which came directly out of her checking account! After investigating and very luckily finding out the name of an account that the sales girl had paid off, this woman looked at her receipt form the store and realized it was this same girl that stole her number and all of her money! I have another friend who's checking account has been burgled more than once and the only stopping the fraudulent debitor is that my friend's account becomes overdrawn. Super. Now he has those charges to deal with as well. Hello?!

My perplextion is not that this happens in the first place as appalling as it is, but rather, why on Earth does anyone use a debit card!?! I mean, these criminals are bold and we all know they're out there, so will someone tell me why anyone uses a debit card rather than a credit card? Who wants to literally carry around KEY to their entire checking or savings (mine happens to be one and the same)!? Is it the annual fee? In my humble opinion $65 - $150 a YEAR is a small price to pay for the security of protected personal funds and a mini insurance policy. There are also multiple benefits to using many credit cards these days such as bonus points for travel, household items, luxury items, etc. There are also many, very inexpensive insurance policies such as Buyers Protection for items broken, stolen, lost, etc within 90 days of purchasing them or trip insurance to cover cancelled flights and lost luggage. If you pay your bill in full each month, much like using a debit card, these fees do not even apply other than the annual fee. The difference is, your money is sitting in your account for that month accruing interest and isn't immediately being sucked out until YOU review your bill and actually write a check or may an electronic payment. This way you can see what Sally Sandwichhead at your local mall has actually charged to you and let your credit card company know that you're not responsible. The girl in the story about the mall store is extremely lucky and rare that she figured out who stole from her and could press charges, but she is still battling to try and recover her money. Now the only way for her to get her cash back is to win a judgement against this girl and then collect. Ugh.

If you are someone who doesn't like debt (awesome, totally get it), then open a card with no annual fee and pay it off completely each month. You will build a strong credit rating and will have an organized record off all of your spending. Almost no one does not accept credit cards and some places insist on them such as in-flight stores, movies and dining these days. Take it from me, I have had my credit card account stolen twice, my purse stolen right off the back of my chair in a nice restaurant, my luggage lost/stolen and never returned and more!! Get a credit card and take back the gold embossed invitation to your life's savings from these derelicts!!

Happy spending!!

~ Kate

Us Et Morma Loquendi

2010-05-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

The following grammatical errors drive me absolutely nuts!!

1. I could care less = I couldn't care less.
2. Out of the blues = Out of the blue OR the clear blue sky.
3. I'm currently away from the phone right now = I'm currently away OR I'm away right now.
4. I was like and they were all, like like like like = I said and then she said.
5. Your welcome = You're welcome.
6. Its a wrap = It's a wrap.
7. Everything and the kitchen sink = Everything but the kitchen sink.
8. I want to win real bad = I want to win really badly.
9. I don't feel good = I don't feel well.
10. (I struggle personally with "affect" vs. "effect".)
11. Professionality is important = Professionalism is important.
12. That really fustrates me = That really frustrates me.
13. As per your request = Per your request.
14. Irregardless = Regardless (I have been told that both are technically correct, but the former seems redundant to me.)
15. I like there house = I like their house.
16. There is to much to tell you = There is too much to tell you.
17. Lets go golfing = Let's play golf.
18. ANY SENTENCE ENDING IN A PREPOSITION!

* I am guilty of a few of these.

I don't mean to be a nudge, but this entire diatribe was spurred on by the unimaginable grammatical and spelling errors I encountered when editing several bios yesterday. These documents were the adumbration/personification of the people they were written about, for the soul purpose of representing one's self through a short story to people who do not know them and to whom they are trying to impress! In this age of spellcheck at our fingertips, there is virtually no excuse for simple errors like spelling. I don't think I've ever been subjected to so many run-on sentences, erroneous sentence breaks, incomplete thoughts and nonsense in my life!! Come on! Have a stranger on the subway take a look at it if you don't have any other way to proof read. Here's a novel idea! Read it, just once or twice, YOURSELF!!

Happy writing. xo

~ Kate

*NOTE* I had this rant posted for two days before I realized that I spelled "soul", as in "soul purpose", like the bottom of a shoe! Embarrassing. Talk about eating your hat. ;)

Ladies' Room

2010-04-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

Why does the ladies' room at restaurants, work, GAWD! the beach, etc always resemble something out of a scene in Saw? When I say "ladies" I use the term loosely. These public restrooms are anything but restful! Monday at 9:30 in the morning I happened upon something so unholy, I may need therapy to get over it!!

What goes on?!! Why do so many women suffer such an adversity to flushing? Why the spraying of pee all over the seat and floor?! I don't mean to be garish, but what's with the pubic hair??? I meeeeean....does anyone really even have pubic hair in this day and age?? I'm quite some certainty I can assume that the vast majority of urban women weren't raised by wolves. :(

Granted, I'm a double-seat-cover-squatter and I take the necessary precautions such as flushing with my foot and waiting for someone to come in rather than touch the door handle, but seriously, I know how to clean up after myself or don't leave Armageddon behind me when I leave in the first place!!

"Ladies"? Hmm. I beg to differ. It's like people who don't bother to pick up after their dogs, as if they are the only people that will ever walk down that particular street, ever, and they can just leave it completely defiled as long as they are done there. Come on!!

Clean it up, pleeeease!!

~ Kate

Dancers and Backup Singers

2010-04-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

It is a complete paradox that dancers and backup singers don't get the glory they are sooooo deserving of, EVER. I was watching a major recording artists live show and was watching the dancers. I thought to myself, I might be the only person, with the exception of these dancers' friends and family, that even notices these amazing people!

Dancers on a music video, for instance, (a very coveted gig) have the longest rehearsal hours (sometimes with the exception of the artist, but not always), the lowest rate, the hardest job and get less recognition than the grips! Think about the blood, sweat and tears that the dancers are pouring out! They are trained, professional and exceptional talents. Most have been working on their craft their entire lives. One of the biggest gigs you can get, especially in Hollywood, is principal dancer. This means you are featured along side the artist or are cut to if the artist does not dance. You are usually paired with a mirror or a second principal flanking the artist on the other side. This is HUGE. You may even tour! A bigger gig!!! Now, name one dancer besides Kevin Federline or Chris Judd. Can't do it? Crazy right? I know personally dancers who traded in the coveted principal dancer position for the "hot girl in video" and have had many offers and recognition and turned up on TV shows, feature films etc. because of it. Glaring case in point (the Aerosmith girl....Alicia Silverstone)

Backup singers otherwise known as my dream job :) are equally as talented and totally under appreciated and unnoticed. They are usually carrying the artist and more than half the time are stronger vocalists. I was recently watching one of my all-time favorite performers (I lovingly say performer because a vocalist she is not) J-Lo and she was literally only bearable because of her backups. I mean, they evened her out as best they could, but....I found myself with an intense desire to see one of them jump up, tackle Ms. Lopez to the ground, rip the mic from her hand and just take over, like "stop embarrassing yourself! You're gonna mess up this gig for all of us!". But alas.....

I know there have tried to be some referendum to alleviate the skewed and totally unfair world of the backup dancer/singer such as the afore mentioned Jennifer Lopez who EP'd a show all about dancers and their struggles. It didn't stay on the air more than eight episodes. I think, sadly, people just want their backup dancers/singers where they have historically belonged, in the background :(

Keep on getting your paper and keep on climbin! I promise to be watching.

~ Kate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhorN17dQRQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlxByc0-V40

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVBsypHzF3U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzybwwf2HoQ